𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒. [ON HOLD]

fourteen.

I'm so sorry. This isn't a very long chapter. Just about 700 words.

Helena's POV:

It was so silent. All you hear was the forks scraping across the plates and the tension in the air.

I made eye contact with Theo. His face looked so red and his eyes were tearing up.

"The-"

He started cackling. "I can't breathe!"

"Why are you laughing?" Ace asked. You could see the amusement all over his face.

"Hold on, mafia man. Let him finish." River said watching Theo.

Zeke started choking on his food and Luca whipped his head to look at River. Ace just chuckled.

"You know?" Ace questioned.

"Of course, I know." River answered.

"How?" Ace asked.

"I-"

"Are you forgetting we have the same parents?" I said cutting River off.

Ace stared at me confused for a second. "We have the same parents?"

"Yeah." I replied.

"Oh right." He nodded. I raised my eyebrows. "I forgot."

"Ok seriously, are you on drugs?" Zeke asked.

"I'm not on fucking drugs." He snapped.

"Then how'd you forget?" Zeke asked.

"He's acting like this ever since Nicole gave him that envelope that said something important."

My eyes widened at the familiar name. Ace looked straight at me as if he got caught.

"Wait, Nicole?" I questioned.

Ace shrugged. "I don't know a Nicole. What are you on about?"

"Yeah, you do. Brown hair, amber eyes and round face. Did you forget her too?"

"You know Nicole? How do you know her- are you kidding me?" I realised he sent her to find me. I got up annoyed.

"Look I just wanted to see how you were doing!" Ace tried to say. Also standing up.

"You have no right to!" I snapped.

"What's going on?" Xavier asked.

"He sent a girl to find me." I told him.

"What? You're joking, right?"

...

I dropped myself on my bed and stared at the ceiling.

What's wrong with him? First, he's acting weird and now he is all worried about me. And what bloody envelope? What did it freaking say to him to be worried about me?

What if he found out about the abuse?

Somethings going on over there and I'm going to find out. Nothing over there makes sense.

I heard a knock on my door. "Come in!"

Xavier, Roman, Theo and River came sulking in. "You won the bet so here's your money." Xavier sighed. I let out a loud laugh.

"Thank you very much." I said counting all the $20 notes.

Thats just made my day.

Ace's POV:

I got it. I have her entire life right in front of me on a file. I desperately wanted to look inside it but I would be invading her privacy.

Something about that didn't sit right with me recently after finding out about us.

I sighed dropping back on my chair.

I looked over at the framed picture of my parents and us. Mom was pregnant. Well she was kinda 'pregnant' I kept staring at the picture. We were all so fooled.

The door suddenly bursted open and Luca strolled in. I quickly hid the file from his reach before he saw it.

"So, I'm thinking we hack into child services system and find out their background." He said.

"No, we are violating their privacy." I told him.

"Since when do you care about violating people's privacy? You do it all the time!" He shouted.

"Since now! I am DEFINITELY not going through theirs." I shouted back.

"Whatever." He said walking out.

At least, I did one thing right.

Unknown POV:

I watched them through their window having a pillow fight in the living room.

It was so fascinating how happy they were away from the rest of the Marianos. I knew that the older part of their family cared deeply for them.

I loved that I could just rip their happiness away from them. It will be my ultimate life goal to see them crumble so quickly.

But on the other hand, it'll make them more ruthless. It'll make them more rebellious.

I took some pictures and began to drive away. I just need Xavier out of the house before I can continue my plan.

Thank you for reading 💕.